Brake-operating device for railway vehicles



Jan 2, 1923.-

MmMB L: BOIRAULT. BRAKE OPERATING DEVICE FOR RA LWAY VEHICLES.

B SHEETS-SHEET 1 F| LED JUNE 1 1920,

7 HQ 2 and 6%?026 azfaaZi' 952wrweya Jam. 2, 1923;. 1,41%,4413

L. B OIRAULT. BRAKE OPERATING DEVICE FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES.

FILED JUNE 1 1920. 8 SHEETS'SHEEF 2 Jam. 2, 11,923. 11,440,443 1 L.BOIRAULT.

- BRAKE OPERAT NG DEVICE FOR RA LWAY VEmcLE's.

Fl LED JUNE 1 1920.

8 swans-sneer 3 Jan. 2, 11923. l,414,443

L, BOIRAULT. BRAKE OPERATING DEVICE FOR RA 1 LWAY VEH v cu zs. FILEDJUNE 1 1920.

8 SHEETSSHEET 4 Jam 2, 19233.

L. BOIRAULT. BRAKE OPERATING DEVICE FOR RA] LWAY V 8 SHEETS-SHEET 5 az'raz F1 LED JUNE 1 I 920 8 SHEETS'SHEET 6 Qixvew 50 7 Lv BOIRAULT.BRAKE OPERATING Davie; FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES- FLLED JUNE 1 1920.

Jan. 2, 1923.

Jan; 2,1923. Il,4l4@,443

' L. BOIRAULT.

BRAKE OPERATING DEVICE FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES I FILED JUNE 1 1920. 8SHEETS'SHEET 7 Jan. 2, 11923.

L. BOIRAULT. BRAKE OPERATING DEVICE FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES- FILED JUNE 11920, 8 SHEETS-SHEET 8 LOUIS BOIRAULT, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

Application filed June 1, 1920.

To all 207mm it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Louis BoInAUL'r, a citizen of the Republic ofFrance, residing at Paris, Seine Department. 58 Rue Taitbout, in theRepublic t France, engineer, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Brake-Operating Devices for Railway Vehicles, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to brake-operating devices for railway vehicles,in which the operation of the bralres during the running at the train issecured by means of an eccen trio member keyed to the vehicleaxle andactuating the customary brake gear through the medium of a system oflevers one of which is normally situated outside of the area covered bythe movement of the eccentric; but is brought within this area at theproper time by the action of a cam which is controlled either from thebrakemans caboose or from the ground at either side or the vehicle. oragain, by automatic action. under the influence of the tension or thecoupling oi? the wagon.

inc improvements which troin the sul ect of: this invention relate. moreparticuarly on the one hand to the means whichv are employed forproducing the rotation of the cam, and on the other hand to thearrangements which are provided to obviate the diiiiculties resultingfrom the wear of the brakeshoes.

These improven'ients are set forth in the tollowi description togetherwith the accompanying drawings which are given by t e mple.

. 1 is an elevation in partial section of the as. emblage constituting abrake-optima lug device c :ording to this invention, in the position forwhich the l'ufahes are thrown 'ure a. eontinnaiion at Fig. l.

is an elevation of the same device, portion of the ratchet mechanismrepresents separately :1 counterwe t f. 'e-r arrangement for controllingthe op' ating shaft,

i is a device for automatic regulation of the stroke of the brake gearof the vehicle according to the amount otwea'r of the brake shoeswhereby the braking efiect is made independent of such wear.

Fig. 5 shows a lever system for suspend Serial No. 385,657.

ing or restoring at will the automatic action of the brake control.

Fig. 6 represents separately amethod for automatic brake control by theaction of the vehicle coupling gear.

Fig. '7 is an elevation of a device employed to indicate to the railroadpersonnel that the brake shoes are worn out and require replacing.

F 8 is a plan view of the same device.

Figure 9 shows the locking parts in the inoperative position.

Figures 10 and 11 show two positions of the members termed sector-shapedmember and cam.

Figure 12 represents a locking member and the parts pertaining thereto.

Figure 13 shows parts of the apparatus on the released position.

Figure 14: shows other parts also in the released position.

Figure 15 represents a connecting piece termed automatic bar and theparts pertaining thereto.

The apparatus is almost entirely enclosed in a casing tor-med of two endplates 1 and a ratchet member 2. These two plates carry the operatingshaft and a shaft 41-, each plate having an annular boss of large sizesituated on the same axis as the operating shatt 3, the 'JlELtBS beingconnected together and also to te ratchet member by means of three largebolts 5, 6 and 7. This assemblage is mounted on. a frame (not shownhere} which is secured directly to the frame of the bogie.

In the interior of the casing, a cam 8 and a locking member 9, bothhaving exactly the same spiral form, are mounted free upon the bosses ofthe end plates 1. Between the cam and the locking member is asector-shaped men'iber 10, which is keyed upon the shaft 3. This memberis provided. with a circular are shaped slot 11 having disposed slidablytherein a cam stud 12, this being a suitable projection riveted to thecam; the sectorshaped member has a suitable form for operating pawls 13connected to the cam 8, and pawls 14: connected to the locking member 9.The double arm lever 1516 is mounted tree on the shaft 4; its long armis connected to the operating bar 17 by means of the pin 18, and thesmall arm 16 is connected to the driving lever 19 by means of the strap20, the pin 21 and the pin 22.

arm 2% is adapted to move by pivotation on i the bolt 5, its outer endbeing always in contact with the edge of the cam 8. The operating bar 17actuates the paw1f9by.meansotits projecting end 26 through the medium ofa spring 27 a rod 28, and a sprocket chain 29 bearing upon the boss 30of the locking memher 9 andattached to'this latter at 31. Outside thecasing, the roller shoe 28 is mounted on the driving lever 19 and movesby pivotation on the pin 32. The operating bar 17 actuates the brakegear of the vehicle through the medium of a pivoted barand a spring 33acting upon a balance crossbar 3 1.

The operation of the hereinbefore described members is as follows. Thebrake being supposed to be in the inoperative posi-' tion, it theoperating shaft 3 is turned in the counter-clockwise direction, thesectorshaped member 10 is rotated alone in the first place and throughan arc which is equal to that represented by the circular-shaped slot11, and then it willdraw along the cam 8 as soon as the cam stud 12strikes against the end of the slot, the cam being thereafter actuatedby the sector and by reason of its profile it lifts the outer endof thehanger arm 24, whereupon the driving lever 19 will pivot upon the shaft22 until theshoe 23 comes in contact with the eccentric 35 keyed to thevehicle axle.

From this moment, two cases are to be considered.

1. Braking action, when the-vehicle is stationary.

2. Braking action, when the vehicle is in movement.

J. Vehicle stationary-in this case the above mentioned operation'oi theparts is brought about by the release of the counter weight lever 10whose action will be further described.

The shoe 28, upon coming in contact with the eccentric, now constitutesa fixed point, whereupon. the cam 8 continues its movement, and the samecondition prevails "for the outer end of the hanger arm 24., so that the(ilriving lever 19 bearing upon the shoe 23 now acts to lift up thestrap 20 and causes the rotation of the double-arm lever 1516; theoperating bar 17 is thereby actuated, thus throwing on thebrakes of: thevehicle.

This braking action increases up to itsfulleii'ect when the vehicleis=set in move ment. 1 i.

2. Vehicle in mooement.ln this-case, the rotation of the shaft 3 can beeii'i'ected either through the medium of the counterweight lever -10, orby operating withinthe brake- ,mans caboose, or by automaticactionby theaaonas will rotate in the clockwise sense, actuating thebar 17 andcompressing the spring 33, which causes the braking action topredetermined degree. By the term non-reversible profile is meant thatat each point on, the profile of the said earn, the inclination of thetangent with reference to thepressure exertedby the lever 19 uponthispoint is such that this pressure, however considerable it -,may be,cannot-aiiecttheslip of the cam relativeto the lever nor in consequenceits rotation in the sense of the brake re lease. In other words, the cam8 may actuate the lever 19, but the latter is unable to actuate the cam.Whatever may be the method of operating the shaft 3,- the braking effectproduced by the momentary action ofthe eccentric is thenceaftermaintained by I means of the looking or coupling members 2,

13,141. -When in its inoperative position and with the brakes thrownoil', the sector 10 maintains the pawls 13 and 14 out of contact withthe ratchet 2, butthese pawls are released as soon as the sector hasmoved through an angle slightly below that'oi the arc-shaped slot 11;the'springs- 86 will now apply the pawls fully into the ratchet, thuspreventing all possibility of an accidental rearward motion. of the cam8 and the locking member 9. The object of the quadrant 10 is to put thepawls 13, 14 out of action at the moment of the release of the brake. Tothis end, it attects the release of the pawls from. the teeth of theratchet member 2, against the action of the springs 36. In the positionshown in Fig. 1 corresponding to the application of the brakes,- thepawls 13, 1 1 are represented in the operative position. But in thebrake release or the inactive position, the quadrant 10 is raised andits two ramps 10, 10 (see Fig. 9) will lift the tail parts of the pawls13 and 14 and will thus cause thefpointed end of the pawl to recede fromthe ratchet 2, The pawls of the ratchet are so disposed that this backmotion shall not exceed halt the pitch of the ratchet teeth.

Thelocking member 9 is actuated by the brake operating bar 17 throughthe medium of'the chain 29, the spring 27 and the rod 28, in such mannerthat the operating bar 17 will be thus maintained in the position intowhich itwas brought by'the action of the eccentric on the shoe 23.

Thelarge arm" 15 "of the lever member iii) which rotates upon the shaft4-. should remain in contact with thelocking member 9 rotating on theoperating shaft 3, but since the portion of the said large arm 15 whichis adapted to be stopped by the locking member 9 has a tendency to enterupon the area covered by the swinging movement of the latter, it willfollow that if the locking membcr should be stopped while the operatingbar 17 continues its movement, this movement will be taken up by thespring 27 which is now compressed upon its rod 28.

For throwing off the vehicle brakes, all that is required is to rotatethe operating shaft 3 in the clockwise sense; the sector 10 is actuatedin the same sense, in the first place alone and through an are equal tothat of the slot 11, and during, this first part of the movement itreleases the pawls of the. ratchet 3 secured to the cam 8, then drawsalong this latter as soon as the end of the said slot strikes againstthe cam stud 12. The sector 10 continues its movement and releases theratchet pawls 14- attached to the locking member 9 and draws along thislat ter through the medium of its projection which strikes against oneof the pawls let.

The brake-operating mechanism is controlled by hand from the brakemanscaboose or from the ground, or automatically through the medium of thevehicle coupling gear.

The method employed for controlling the shaft 8 from the brakemanscaboose is not represented here; this control is effected by means of ahand wheel. disposed after the manner of the usual hand brake wheel, andthe movement of rotation of this wheel is transmitted to the shaft 3through the medium of any suitable mechanism comprising gear wheels,chains, etc., or by any other means which will provide for the reversecontrol movement.

Control of the brakes from the ground is carried out by pulling upon thehandle of one of the levers 37 which are disposed diagonally upon thesides of the vehicle and in the rear part of the latter with referenceto the person employed in this operation, who is supposed in regularpractice to be stationed to the left with reference to the (irection ofrunning. in consequence. this op eration involves no danger, since it iscan ried out entirely outside the track and in the rear of the vehicle.

The following arrangement is employed:

The toothed sector 38 controls the brakeoperating device through themedium of a gear wheel 39 keyed to the operating shaft 3. This toothedsector is caused to rotate in the braking direction by a counterweightlever 40. The effect of this lever can be stopped as desired by acounter clockwise operation of the levers 37 situated one on each sideof the vehicle, each lever being mounted upon a cross shaft l1. carryinglink member 42 composed of two bars connected together at the ends by apin 43 carrying the roller l This link member raises the counterweightl0 upon actuating the cross shaft 41 in the above-indicated direction.

lVhen in the raised position, the counterweight rests by means of asuitable grooveupon the roller 44:, the link member 4L4 being newvertical as shown in dotted lines Fig. 3.

VJhen in this position and held in place by its groove, thecounterweight has no action upon the brake-operating mechanism. Pullingupon either one of the levers 37 acts to release the counterweight, andit immediately comes into effect.

Automatic control by means of the vehicle coupling gear is obtained inthe following manner. The counterweight 410 is normally released uponcouplingv the safety chains these latter being connected to the linkmember 452 by small chains which are not represented here.

l Vhen the counterweight is released. the toothed sector 38 can beactuated by the coupling hooks The counterweight is normally releasedupon attaching the safety chains. and therefore the regular introductionof vehicle into a train will cause the automatic operation of the brakethrowing device To carry this out, a link member -11 6 keyed on thecross shaft a1 is connected by a rod 417 to a link member 1-8. 49 whichoperates to raise or release a connecting bar 50, termed automatic bar,connected. by means of the articulation 51 to the toothed sector 38which can he thus driven in either direction. A notch in the automaticbar 'irovides for the connection of the latter to the pin 52 secured tothe lever arm termed automatic lever arm.

The coupling hooks actuate the automatic lever arm 53 through theintermediary of mechanical transmission gear not represented here andcomposed of rods and levers.

Each of the vehicle coupler rods operates in an elastic manner theautomatic lever arm through the medium of a coiled spring 54-. mountedin tandem with the traction sprin This traction sp'ing only comes intoaction when the spring 54; has moved the automatic lever arm 53 throughthe distance representing the release of the vehicle, brakes. At thismoment, the traction spr' re; 55 is flattened against its usual stoppieces and the spring 54c is compressed against the guide piece 56secured to the vehicle fran'ie and serving as a stop piece. The range ofcompression of the coiled spring 54iis greatter than that of thetraction spring 55, thus limiting the amount of thrust upon the guidepiece 56, and the thrust due to the principal efforts of traction willalways come upon the usual mechanism provided to that effect.

It has already been" observed that the ac"- tion of inserting in a traina wagon provided with the automatic brake-operating device has theeffect of. disposing the automatic bar in such manner that it willengage the pin 52 of the automatic lever arm when the link member 48, i9is lowered, this being e1"- .fected by the coupling oi the safetychains. The rod 50 becomes engaged imn'iediately upon the start of thetrain, under the action of the first effort of traction and thenceforththe brake is entirely under the con trol of the ginemamshould the la terslow up speed the wagons will become pushed together, and the couplinghooks will move back towards the cross beam; the counterweight Comesinto action, and this results in a braking effect which is proportionalto the back movement of the coupling bar.

The train is normally brought up to speed by the successive release orthe 1n'eviouslybraked wagons. The train is stopped under the sameconditions as the slowing up, except that each of the wagons in questionwill be braked to the maximum degree.

Since the bra ring action is produced by the kinetic energy of the trainas transmitted through an eccentric mounted on the axle, the power thusavailable will be much too large and it becomes essential to employ onlya part of this power. In order to ob tain the desired result, a'suitable member must be provided in the first place, to wit, a spring 33must be interposed for the transmission of the braking effort, for byreason of the wear of the brake shoes the distance to be covered wouldbe variable in consequence, and this would also be true for the an'iountof compression of the spring, so that a variable effect would prevail inthe braking action whose maximum is represented by the total strokegiven to the brake bar by the operating device. The maximum brakingeflect obtainable in any event would be found in, the case of a wagonwhich is fitted with new brake shoes, and this bralrinn" action would bethe only one having a rational. value.

in order to overcome this drawback, the operating shaft has mountedthereon the gear wheel 39 engaging the toothed sector 38. Pivoted tothis sector ifl'a rod 57 of ad justable length which actuates a-leverarm 58 for auton'iatic regulation, which moves by pivotation on thestationary axle or pin 59 carried by the vehicle frame. This swingingmovement is limited on the left hand side by a pin GO forming part ofthe lever 84. i c Fig. 4 shows theabove members in the position in whichthe counter-clockwise rotation of the operating shaft 3 and the cam Leadi423 8 is stopped; these members are thus placed in the operativeposition as soon as the lever arm 1 for automatic regulation 58 strikesagainst the pin 60, when the lever 34! is stopped by reason ofthe'contaet between the brake shoes and the wheel. 7

Let us suppose the caseof an empty wagon fitted with new brake shoes.With the brake-operating device in the braking position, the rotation ofthe operating shaft 3 will move the lever. 58 towards the lever 34 underthe action of the spring until the shoes come in contact with thewheels. At this moment the lever 58 will still allow the operating shaft3 to move through a certain are, which gives rise to a pre-determinedcompression of the spring 33, thus producing a well-defined brakingaction. When this are has been covered, it will be impossible to effectany further braking movement and the bralreman cannot increase'except bya negligible quantity this action in spite of all efforts on his part.

If we suppose a second case in which the same car has its brakes in aworn'condition, the lever 34. will new travel farther. but when itbecomes stopped, the operatingshaft will be enabled to move through anarchaving practically the same extent as the are above mentioned, beforethe lever 58 strikes against the pin 60. p

it will be thus observed that the braking action is practicallyindependent of the wear of the brake shoes.

The brake-operating device as set forth in the preceding description isespecially applicable to the wagons of freight trains, and

it provid d avery powerful braking-effect. In consequence,-the brakeshoes are subjected to a more rapid wearthan what is produced in otherbraking systems, and therefore the railroad employees mi ght be takenunawares and not have the proper time, to replace the brake shoes; thiswould have the consequence of suddenly suppressing one or more powerfulln'aking units, during the running of the train, upon which theengineman had been relying forthe sate action of this train.

it is therefore advisable to provide an automatic device which will giveproper notice to the railroad. men in question that the brake shoesrequire tobei'en'ewed.

This device can be constructed in the following manner (Figs. 7 and 8):A fixed plate 60 serves a shield for the indicating plate (51, before.the removal of the'lattcr. The plate 60 is secured'hy means of a smallangle ironpiece" 62, to a'lever63. The indicatingg'plate 61. swingsabout its pin 64: mounted on the angle'iron member 60 which is securedto the vehicle frame. Upon the plate 61 is disposed a strip 66 acting asa stop piece for the plate 61. The lever'63 is arranged to rotate uponits support 67 which is bolted to the angle iron member 65. It

is brought back to its initial. position by the spring 68, whererequired. The end oi the lever carries a. vertical stud 69 upon which isdisposed a contact member 70 having the form of an ccce'mfiric, forregulating purposes. This piece "T0 serves as an intermediate memberthrough which the prop v chosen point of the brake gear will act :.omove the lever 63 from its initial position.

Fig. 7 represents the indicating plate 61 in the released position. Toreplace the same, the plate is raised until its strip 66 acting as acam, which had previously displaced the plate 60 and its attached lever63, shall come upon the lever 63 which has been returned to its originalposition by the spring 68. When the wear of the brake shoes shall havereached the determined limit, the chosen point of the brake gear willnow actuate the lever 63 by means of its eccentric contact piece 70.This movement releases the plate 61, allowing it to drop, thus showingthe indication which it carries (Brake shoes to be renewed withoutadjustment). After the shoes have been changed, this causes a reductionin the stroke of the brake gear used to throw on the brakes, and thelever 63 can no longer be actuated. W hen once the indicating plate hasbeen raised in place, it will remain there until the new brake shoeshave arrived at their limit oi wear.

The above-described brake-operating device can be employed as for brakecontrol which is effected only from the ground level, where it is usedas a substitute for the cue tomary brakes of the lever type, but in thiscase it can be simplified to a considerable degree, and the lockingmember 9 with its accessory members the ratchet 2 and the pawls 13; 14,can now be suppressed. The operating method is the same as has beenpreviously set forth (brakes thrown by counterweight) Thebrake-operating device as thus siinpiiied has the advantage over thecustomary brakes of the balance arm type or. the lever type, from the"fact that they permit a very rapid manoeuver which is easily carriedout and without danger. On the other hand, the braking power has nolimit except that which practice may find suitable to assign to it.

Claims:

1. in a brake-operating device of the kind specified, the combination ofa brake-open ating shaft (3) a pinion secured thereto, a swingingtoothed sector engaging the said pinion, a swinging bent lever one oiwhose arms is weighted while the other arm is adapted to drive the saidswinging sector in the sense corresponding to the braking effect, aswinging arm for maintaining the arm of the said lever in the raisedweighted for allowing this arm to drop,

position and and ineas for effecting the hand operation oi the saidswinging arm.

2. In a r lroad xn provided. with the so-called sa hains and abrakeopeiating dev I specified, the combination oi a bra c-operaiingshait a 'iion s; ed thereto, swinging toothed sector engagin the saidpinion, a swinging bent lever one of whose a s is weighted while theother arm is adapted to drive the said swinging sector in the sensecorresponding to the braking effect, a swinging arm "for maintaining theweighted arm oi": the said lever in the raised position and for allowingthis arm. to drop, and means for ettecting the hand. operation of thesaid swinging arm, the sai means being connected to the said couolingchains for the purpose of providing the automatic release oi the saidbent lever when the said chains are coupled to a second wagon.

3. in a railroad wagon provided with a spring mounted coupling bar and abrakeoperating device of the kind specified, the combination of abrake-operating shaft (3), a pinion secured thereto, a swinging toothedsector engaging the said pinion, and connecting means between the saidsector and the spring-mounted coupling bar whereby the said operatingshaft shall be rotated in the sense'of the release of the brakes underan effort of traction upon the said coupling bar.

a. In a railroad wagon device of the kind specified, the combination ofa bralreoperating shaft (3), a pinion secured thereto, a swing toothedsector engaging the said pinion, and connecting means between the saidsector and the spring-mounted coupling bar whereby the said operatingshaft shall be rotated in the sense of the release of the brakes underan effort of traction upon the said coupling bar, the said meanscomprising a linlr member pivoted to the said swinging sector, and aswinging arm spring-connected to the said. coupling bar, the said link.member and the said aim being connected together in a readily removablemanner.

5. in a railroad wagon provided with a spring mounted coupling bar andbrakeoperating device of the hind specified, the combination oi abrake-operating shait (3) a pinion secured thereto, a swinging toothedsector en aging the said pinion, a bent lever one of whose arms isweighted while the other arm is adapted to drive the said swingingsector in the sense corresponding to the braking efiect, hand-operatedmeans for maintaining the weighted arm of the said bent lever in theraised position and for allowing this arm to drop, a link member pivotedto the said swinging sector, a swinging arm spf connected to the saidwagon coupling bar, the said linl: member and the said arm beingconnected together in a readl. l O

ily removable manner, and means whereby the said link member isconnected to or dis connected from the said arm, these latter meansbeing connected to the said means for raising and lowering the Weightedarm of the said lever, for the purpose set forth.

6. ln a railroad Wagon provided With a brake operating device of thekind specified whereby the brake shoes are actuated through the mediumof movable brake gear,

the combination of a brake operating shaft (8), a pinion securedthereto, a swinging toothed sector engaging trolling means for actuatingthe saidsector,

and means for automatic regulation connected to the said sector andadapted tOStIlkQ against a point on the said movable brake gear tor thepurpose set forth.

7. In a railroad Wagon PIOVldGCl' With a brake operating device oi? thesaid pinion conwhereby the brake shoes are actuated through the mediumof movable brake gear, the combination of a swinging indicating memberand means whereby the same shall. be locked in position means engaigngthe said brake gear and being operated thereby when the Wear of thebrake shoes shall have caused the movement of the gear to becomeconsiderable, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

YLoUIs noreaumx W itnesses J, F. MOGURK, MAURIoE' Rows.

or dropped, the said 2 the kind specified 20

